Challenges

We brought together eight popular compact SUVs to see which one is the best. See how each SUV did in both subjective and objective categories.

Seven subjective category wins, one objective category win and no losses in any of our 15 test categories powered the Volkswagen Tiguan’s overall win in our 2026 Compact SUV Challenge.

We tested eight compact SUVs in real-world driving conditions and recorded their gas mileage.

When we gathered eight popular models to find the best compact SUV for 2026, we made sure to measure their cargo areas to see which one had the most space.

We used rock-crawling, hill climb, hill descent, off-road course and on-road testing to determine which is the best mid-size off-road pickup truck for 2025.

Of the four trucks in our comparison, the Ford Ranger Raptor did the best in our on-road testing thanks to its fun-to-drive nature, test-leading ride quality and comfortable seats.

If you’re shopping for a new car, chances are you’re considering one or more of the seven compact SUVs in this comparison test. See how each SUV did in both subjective and objective categories.

As in prior contests, our complaints with the Rogue were few, and the SUV’s good-to-great performance in most of our scored categories is a testament to its all-around goodness.

We took seven compact SUVs recently on a roughly 250-mile fuel economy drive to measure their road-trip efficiency in a real-world setting.

When we gathered seven popular models to find the best compact SUV for 2025, we made sure to measure their cargo areas to see which one had the most space.